brownell



Nov. 20, 1928.

F. A. BROWNELL CIRCUIT CONTROLLIN MEANS FOR IGNITION CIRCUITS CF MOTORVEHICLES Filed July 17, 1924 INVENTOR. Tran/r ff Brow/ 212 H15ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 20, 1928 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

FRANK a snowman, or nocnnsrnn, NEW YORK. omcnn-oon'rnoimmo arms FenIGNITION CIRCUITS or MOTOR VEHICLES.

Application filed July 17,

The resent invention relates to circuit controlling means for ignitioncircuits of motor vehicles and an ob]ect thereof is provide in theignition circuit a switch WhlCh under normal running conditions of themotor vehicle would be maintained in its normal position, but which whenthe motor vehicle shifts upwardly at its forward end above a desirableheight will control the circuit to stop the motor. Another object ofthemvention is to provide a switch part locked in normal position andshifted out of such normal osition by a gravity operated element whichhas a lost motion connection with the switch locking means so that theswitch will not be unlocked and shifted from normal position exceptunder extreme undesirable conditions.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a switch partcontrolled by a gravity 0 erated member in such a manner that tl ieswitch part is not moved away from normal position except underundesirable conditions.

To these and other ends, the invention consists of certain arts andcombinations of l i 95 parts, all of which will be'hereinafterdescribed: the novel features being pointed out in the ap nded claims.

In the rawings: Fig. 1 is a plan view of the circuit controlling meanswith the cover plate of the casing removed, the switch being shown inclose position;

Fi 2 is a vertical section through the casin showing the switch inclosed position;

ig. 3 is atransverse Section through the casing; and

Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the operated roller shifted to move thedevice from locking osition.

The invention is erein illustrated in connection with a closed circuitignition system, ut it is apparent that the invention is not limited toa closed circuit system. In the illustrated embodiment, 1 indicates themain casting of a casing enclosing all of the operating parts and havinga'removable cover-.2. This cover is secured to the main casting so as toprovide a water-proof interior for the easing. Two socket terminals 3connect with the so casing, one having a contact 4 at its inner end andthe other havin a switch part 5 pivoted thereto at 6. In t is instance,the normal position of the switch part is in engagement with the contact4 thereby maintaining the motor ignition circuit of the motor vehicleclosed. v

avity ocking 1924. Serial No. 726,522.

Arranged within the casing is an operating member 7 in the form of aweighted lever pivoted at 8 within the casing near the top of the latterand having a bifurcated portion 9 receiving a projection 10 on theswitch lever and roviding an operating connection with said ever. Thisoperating member depends from its pivot and has its lower and weightedend widened, the lower end being provided with a large pocket 11, theend walls of which form abutments 12a'nd 13, one side of the pocketbeing closed by a wall 14.

Below the lower end of the operating memher a channel piece 15 isarranged. This channel piece has one side extending upwardly at anincline to provide an inclined guide having a movable controller 16.This controller is in the form of a weighted roller' and operates in thepocket 11 between the abutments 12 and 13. Normally, it lies toward theabutment moves upwardly at its forward end above a certain height, theroller moves rearwardly on the incline guide of the channel 'piece 15toward the abutment 13, aiid this roller or controller shifts theweighted portion of the operating member to shift the switch part 15 onits pivot 6 away from normal position, that is, in this instance, fromclosed position, thus breaking the ignition circuit.

So that the weighted operating member will not shift on every movementof the forward end of the vehicle in an upward direction as in theclimbing of hills, a locking means is provided for locking the operatingmember 7 against movement, this locking means being controlled by thecontroller 16 during an extreme movement of the controller inthe pocket11 relatively to the operating member 7. The locking means, in thisembodiment, comprises a lever or arm 17 pivoted at 18-to the forward endof the channel piece 15 and having between its ends a locking projection19 which extends upwardly through an opening 20 in the bottom wall ofthe channel piece to engage with the abutment 14 on the operatingmember, thereby holding said operating member against movement. Thechannel also has tom wall in rear of the opening'20 and in the inclinedportion through which an inclined controlling portion 22 of the lockinglever extends. This inclined controlling portion 22 is so positionedwith respect to the locking projection 19 that the controller or roller16 may move back and forth in an opening in its bot-' 13, but, when thevehicle the channel for a limited distance without effecting themovement of the locking means,

eration with the abutment 12 of the operating 7 member 7, the controllerroller 16 thereafter engaging the .abutment l3, and this roller togetherwith the weight of the operating member 7 shifts the switch part 5 ashereinbefore mentioned. A spring 23 secured to the underside of thechannel piece 15 extends forwardly and engages with the lever 17 nearits pivot thus giving the locking lever 17 a normal tendency to lie inlooking position.

The controlling means is so adjusted that it operates wheneverthe'forward end of the machine rises above a predetermined andundesirable height. VVhen'the device is used on a tractor and theforward end of the tractor rises, as occurs in some instances, above anundesirable height so as to operate the circuit controlling means, thenthe latter may be reset by releasing the clutch and lowering the frontend. of the tractor by force. This causes the weighted lever and rollerto be moved under the action of gravity. However, if the machine isclimbing a hill or moving over some obstruction its forward end islowered very slowly and the operating v member may not have sufficientmomentum' toreset the controller. In some instances, in climbing a hillor going over an obstruction, the machine will stop so that the weightedoperating lever cannot reset the controller. In order to reset thecontroller whenever the weighted operating member cannot be brought intoaction for effecting this result, a resetting device is employed. Thisresetting device may comprise a plunger 24 guided in the casing andhaving one end 25 extending to the exterior of the casing to provide afinger piece. The other end of the plunger cooperates with the operatingmem-' her 7 adjacent the pivot. A sprin 26 surrounds the plunger andengages the ed part of the casing and the abutment 27 on the lunger. Theplunger also'oarries a packing 28 on the abutment for cooperating withthe casing about the opening through which the plunger operates, thispacking being employed for preventing the entrance of moisture throughthe opening about the plunger. This resetting device not only permitsthe controller to be reset when the weighted operating lever fails toreset the controller, but permits the controller to be closed whenclimbing hills at a greater inclination to which the roller would beset, this result being. obtained by holding a finger upon the plungeruntil a lower inclination has been reached. Should the forward wheelsstart erating member for the movable switch part held by the lockingmeans in a normal position to and from which it moves'under the actionof gravity, and a separate gravity operating member movable intoengagement with said locking means to move the latter from lockingposition.

2. A circuit controlling means comprising a. movable switch part, agravity operated operating member for the switch part, a lock for theoperating member, and a gravity operated controller movable intoengagement I with the lock to shift the latter from locking position.

3. A circuit controlling means comprising a movable switch part, anoperating member for the switch part, a lock for the operating member,and a gravity operated controller having a movement relatively to thelock and .to the operating member and controlling the movement of boththe lock and the operating member.

a movable switch part, an operating member for the switch part havin anabutment, a lock for the operatin member and a gravity operatedcontroller for effecting the move- .4. A circuit controlling meanscomprising ment of the lock of the operating member to c release thelatter and then movable into engagement with the abutment of saidoperatng member to effect the shifting of said operating member.

5. A circuit controlling means-comprising 'a movable switch part, anoperating member for the switch part having two abutments, a gravityoperated controller, an inclined way on which the controller moves tocooperate with the two abutments of the operating member, and a lock forthe operating member controlled by said controller.

6. A circuit controllin means comprising a movable switch part, a lockfor holding the switch part in normal position, and a gravity operatedroller movable into engagement with the lock to shift the latter inorder to release the movable switch part and'tlien into engagement withthe movable switch part to move the latter from normal position.

7. A circuit controlling means comprising a pivotally mounted switchpart, a pivotally mounted lock having a locking portion for holding theswitch part against movement and also having a controlling portion, anda gravity operated member normally lying out of engagement with thecontrolling portion of the lock and movable into connection with saidcontrolling portion to move the locking portion out of locking position.

8. A circuit controlling means comprising a movable switch part. apivotally mounted lock having a locking projection for holding theswitch against movement and having also a controlling portion, aninclined way having two openings, one through which the lockingprojection operates and the other through which the controlling portionoperates, and a roller movable on the way to cooperate with saidcontrolling portion to move the locking projection in order to releasethe switch part.

9. A circuit controlling means comprising a movable switch part, apivoted operating member having a weighted portion provided with apocket formed with two abutments, a

pivotally mounted lock having a locking projection and a controllingportion, the locking projection cooperating with the pivotally mountedoperating member, an inclined way provided with two openings in itsbottom, one through which the locking projection operates and the otherthrough which the controlling portion of the lock operates, and

' a roller weight movable on the way and operating in the pocket of theoperating member, said movable roller cooperating with the controllingportion of the locking lever to release the operating member so that theroller with the weighted operating member will move the switch part awayfrom normal position.

10. A circuit controlling means comprising a movable switch part, agravity operated operating member for the switch part movable by gravitytoward and from a locking position, a locking means for holding thegravity operated operating member in looking position,'a gravityoperated controller for the locking means normally lying out 01connection with the locking means, and means for resetting the switchindependently of said gravity operated controller.

11. A circuit controlling meanscomprising a pivotally movable switchpart, a pivoted weighted operating member for the switch part, a lockfor said operating member, a

gravity operated controller for the lock, and means cooperating withsaid weighted operating member for resetting the switch independently ofthe controller.

- FRANK A. BROWNELL.

